PEORIA, Ill. — Central Illinois police fatally shot a man as officers were responding to an alert sent by gunshot detection technology, police said Monday night.
The Peoria Police Department said officers had responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 10:10 p.m. when “upon arrival, officers were involved in a shooting with one person."
That person was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said, adding that the shooting victim’s name and manner and cause of death will be released by the Peoria County Coroner.
No additional details of the shooting were immediately provided by police, including what prompted the shooting.
The coroner identified the man as 59-year-old Samuel V. Richmond, WEEK-TV reported Tuesday. Four officers fired on Richmond that night, and Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria said the deadly force was justified.
“Mr. Richmond was armed with a firearm and placed officers in a life-threatening situation where deadly force had to be used,” Echevarria said.
Echevarria offered condolences to Richmond's family and said all four officers are on administrative leave, according to WEEK-TV's report.
Illinois State Police are investigating the fatal police shooting, as is required by state law.
The city of Peoria, the county seat of Peoria County, is located about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
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